


He's A Long Way From Home

by dannybsdadbod



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Age Difference, Claude and Wayne make an appearance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Implied Negotiation, Kneeling, Lots of Cuddling, M/M, Mostly Platonic, Non-Sexual Kink, Non-Sexual Submission, Some kissing, mentor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 07:26:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13654284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dannybsdadbod/pseuds/dannybsdadbod
Summary: Brian took Alex in when he got called up. He’s always been so sweet, so kind, so caring. He holds Alex when he’s anxious about playing, he praises him when he deserves it. He definitely doesn't deserve it tonight. He doesn’t deserve Brian in any way.





	He's A Long Way From Home

**Author's Note:**

> I love Alex Lyon
> 
> This got away from me, it was supposed to be short and sweet about Brian mentoring him and making him feel better. Then I got all up in my feels and wrote almost 2K so. Enjoy lmao
> 
> Implied negotiation prior to this, it's implied that they have had this agreement since Alex first was called up
> 
> Un beta-ed and written in one night 
> 
> Title from Long Way From Home by The Lumineers

Alex doesn’t talk to anyone in the locker room right away. 

He let the team down. He was pulled. He lost the game for them. Didn’t give the team to come back from that. Didn’t even give Brian a chance.  

Brian. 

Brian took Alex in when he got called up. He’s always been so sweet, so kind, so caring. He holds Alex when he’s anxious about playing, he praises him when he deserves it. He definitely doesn't deserve it tonight. He doesn’t deserve Brian in any way. 

Maybe he’ll just go to a hotel tonight, instead. 

He can’t look Brian in the eye. He makes his rounds to everyone else instead, maybe by then he can face Brian. 

He apologizes to Claude first. 

“I’m so sorry, Claude. I didn’t… I didn’t mean to let the team down. You guys trusted me–”

“No,” Claude stops him. “You’ve been nothing but great for us. These have been your first ever NHL games, Ly. And you’ve impressed us. We all have off nights. It isn’t just on you.”

Alex swallows and nods. 

Claude smiles at him and pulls him into a hug, “I know you can’t see it that way. But try to not be as hard on yourself.”

Alex leaves Claude and goes to Wayne. 

“Don’t.” Wayne holds his hand up to stop him before he even starts. “If you’ve come here to apologize, I want none of it. You have no reason to be apologizing. We should be apologizing to you. You played well. Better than a last minute call up playing in his first NHL games ever could even be expected to play.”

Alex shakes his head and opens his mouth to speak. 

“No,” Wayne says, smiling a little. “I’m right. I’m always right,” he winks at Alex. 

That gets a smile out of Alex, “Thanks, Wayne.”

“We’ve got you, kid.”

 

After making his way halfway through the locker room, he feels a hand on the back of his neck. Alex’s head instinctively drops down a little, knowing who it is. 

“Al? Let’s get you back to your stall and change. We can get you home and we’ll figure out how to help you best then.”

Alex nods small and follows Brian back to their stalls. 

Alex still can’t look him in the eye. Luckily, he doesn’t make him. Yet. 

“Thanks,” He mumbles when Brian finishes helping him get changed into his sweats, not back into his suit. 

“Let’s get you home, yeah?” Brian says softly. 

“Okay, Brian. Thank you.”

Brian helps Alex to his feet and holds him close as they go out to Brian’s car. 

Alex stays silent the whole car ride home. Brian lets a hand rest on Alex’s thigh, a little thing that helps steady Alex. 

“Don’t slip under, baby. Not yet. Gotta stay with me.”

Alex nods, tears springing to his eyes. 

“Shh, we’re almost home.”

 

When they get back to Brian’s, he sits Alex down on the couch. 

Alex feels his chest tighten up. He thinks it’s because Brian doesn’t want him, doesn’t want to deal with him since Brian technically got the loss. Alex doesn’t blame him.

“Okay, you gotta stop that,” Brian says gently. “You’re thinking too much.”

Alex nods and takes a deep breath.

“There you go, good.” 

Brian sits down with him finally and motions Alex into him. 

Alex goes easily, letting himself be pulled. He lays his head down on Brian’s shoulder, not quite in his lap, but pretty in close. Brian starts to rub his hand through Alex’s curls, scratching at his scalp, undoing some of the tangles gently. 

“B-Brian, d-don’t…”

“Don’t what?” Brian stops and moves a little so he can see Alex’s face. 

“I don’t deserve this.”

Brian clicks his tongue and smiles softly at Alex, “I think you do. I really think you deserve this. Deserve to be put down, if you want to. Deserve to be taken care of. If you want. If you’ll let me. If you truly do not want this, I’ll take you to bed now, and I’ll sleep on the couch.”

Alex’s eyes go wide with worry, “No! No, I want that! I want it!” 

Brian shush him softly, “Okay, then that’s what we’re gonna do. I’m gonna hold you for a little first, though, if that’s okay. Cause  _ I _ need to. Wanna just hold you close for a little.”

Alex smiles, can’t help it. The fact he wants to hold Alex is overwhelming, to say the least. 

“That okay?” Brian says, rubbing at Alex’s shoulder to get his attention.

Alex nods, “Yes. I’d really like that.”

“Okay.”

Brian goes back to scratching Alex’s scalp, and Alex can feel himself start to drift. He closes his eyes softly, really letting himself be held by Brian.

“Okay, hey, Alex,” Brian’s voice is soft, but stern. “Gotta get up now. We’re gonna go to the bedroom now.”

Alex nods, but makes no move to get up. 

“Come on,” Brian rubs his hands up and down Alex’s arms to get him back down to earth. 

Alex blinks a bit and gets up, grabbing Brian’s hand without thinking. 

“Oh, does my boy wanna be close?” Brian says with a smile. He wraps his other arm around Alex’s torso. 

They walk back to Brian’s bedroom and Alex takes a few looks around. There’s a pillow down on the ground, gatorade on the nightstand, some food. 

“I wasn’t mad at you, baby. Just wanted to set up the room for you so that we could come back and you could go right under.”

Alex smiles and kisses Brian. 

Alex pulls back, eyes wide, as soon as he realizes what he did. They’ve never kissed. Brian’s kissed his head, his forehead, god he’s kissed him all over just. Not on the lips.

“I-I’m so sorry, oh god..”

Brian smiles and places a hand on his lower back and kisses his forehead softly. When he pulls back he smiles at Alex, “It’s okay.”

“Promise?” Alex still looks worried. Scared.

“Oh, Alex, baby,” Brian pulls him into a hug. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m not gonna hurt you.”

“Don’t want you to be mad,” Alex mumbles into Brian’s chest.

Brian rubs his back a little, “Not mad. Not going to be mad at you ever. Especially not for something like that.”

Alex nods, “Thank you.”

“How about we put you down now, sound okay?” 

Alex nods and follows Brian to the pillow he set up by the chair.

He kneels down and folds his hands in his lap. He keeps his eyes looking down until Brian sits down and asks him to look up. 

“Make yourself comfy. I’ll get your playlist up.” Brian has a playlist full of soft acoustic songs that he plays when Alex goes under. It helps his mind relax and stops him from overthinking. 

Alex repositions himself so he’s sitting cross-legged and he looks up at Brian. “Can I…”

Brian nods, running a hand through Alex’s hair. 

Alex wraps a soft arm around Brian’s calf and lets his head tilt so it’s resting on Brian’s thigh. 

“There you go,” Brian says softly. 

Alex smiles softly to himself. The praise always helps. 

“Okay, I’m gonna set an alarm for 20 minutes. Then we’ll reassess how you’re doing.”

Alex nods a little and closes his eyes. 

 

The first song plays softly and Brian scritches Alex’s head. Once the first song ends, Brian murmurs some soft praises to Alex. 

“Let go, baby. I’ve got you.”

Alex’s shoulders relax gradually as the second song played. 

“So good, Alex. So so good. You’re doing great. So good.”

 

Alex zones out after that, really lets himself go under. He can hear the faintest hint of Brian’s voice, the piano from the song. But he really lets go. When Brian’s voice becomes a little louder and clearer, Alex kinda moves. 

“Oh good, hey, kiddo. Didn’t know if you were gonna come back up to me.”

“Mmm?” 

“Took me about 5 minutes to get you back,” Brian’s voice is soft, but he can hear the worry from it. 

“O-oh.”

“It’s alright,” Brian smiles at him. “Just worried me a bit. Can you start coming back up to me?”

Alex mumbles a yes and moves his hands up and down Brian’s calf. Feeling the fabric, squeezing it a little to test his hands. He brings movement back into his arms. And finally lifts his head up. 

“Good boy,” Brian smiles, “God, so good, Alex. You’re so good. You really needed that.”

“Mmm,” Alex hums. “Thank you.”

Brian helps Alex back up to his feet. “Shower?” 

Alex whines low in his throat. 

“Yep, shower. C’mon,” Brian smirks and ushers him into the ensuite. 

 

Brian helps Alex get his clothes off before he strips himself. He starts the water and helps Alex step in. 

“I’ve got you,” Brian says, rolling his eyes a bit as Alex leans almost all of his weight back against Brian. 

Brian gets the loofa and starts to wash Alex thoroughly, pausing to kiss him gently before he gets the shampoo. 

Alex kind of perks up when Brian kisses him and moves to kiss him more. 

“Woah, slow down, tiger,” Brian chuckles. 

“Lyon,” Alex mumbles all grumpy.

Brian rolls his eyes so hard at this kid. “Okay, my bad. Lyon.”

Alex smiles sleepily at Brian, places one last kiss to his lips. 

 

When they’re finished, Brian dries Alex off and puts him in clean clothes. 

Alex groans when he sees the gatorade at the side of the bed. “Brian, I wanna sleep.”

Brian smiles to himself, “I’m quite aware of that.”

Alex pouts and climbs into bed. “Gonna sleep. Goodnight.”

“Not so fast,” Brian cups his face gently. “I need you to be a good boy for me for just a little longer.”

Alex nods and sits up a little, letting himself be wrapped up in Brian’s arms. 

Brian opens up the gatorade and gives him little sips until the bottle was half empty. 

“C-can I have some water, too, please?” 

Brian smiles big, “Of course. You can have whatever you need.”

Alex drinks a little of the water and smiles softly up at Brian. “Thank you.” He moves so he can kiss Brian gently. “Thank you so much.”

“For putting you down? Of course.”

“For everything,” Alex says, curling himself up against Brian’s chest. “You’ve been a,” Alex pauses to yawn. “Ah, a great mentor to me this entire time. Every time I come up, really.”

“Of course, Alex. Whenever. I truly mean it. If you need to facetime me when you’re back in Lehigh, I wouldn’t mind.”

Alex smiles and kisses Brian’s chest. 

“Now go to sleep, baby.”

“M’trying, but you keep talking.”

Brian rolls his eyes and kisses Alex’s head. He waits until he feels Alex’s breathing even out before he lets himself drift off as well. 

  
  



End file.
